The present invention relates to an apparatus for compacting objects such as plastic bottles and cans whose material is to be recycled, and comprises a detector device which at least displays one code reader for reading-off a code on the object with a view to separating an approved object from a rejected object, and a discharge opening for approved objects, and preferably also a second discharge opening for rejected objects; and a compactor device for receiving approved objects from the detector device and compaction thereof.
An apparatus of the type outlined by way of introduction is previously known in the art. In this apparatus, the compactor device has two reciprocally movable press plates which between them compact an approved object. In operation, these press plates reciprocate cyclically towards and away from one another, respectively, but are not stopped in a starting position for compaction where the plates would be located a maximum distance away from each other, since this would involve an excessive number of regularly recurring starts and stops, with consequential delays.
In purely mechanical terms, the above-outlined compactor device functions excellently but cannot readily be coordinated in time with the operation of the detector device. If an approved object is discharged from the detector at a point in time when the press plates are moving towards one another and the distance between them is so slight that the approved object does not have room between them, the object is not compacted directly, but the plates must first close together and then once again move away from one another in order to reverse at their limit positions before any compaction operation can take place. This involves, in the worst case scenario, a waiting time almost corresponding to the time for a complete reciprocal cycle of the press plates.
The present invention has for its object to design the apparatus intimated by way of introduction such that it may be run in an optimum working timetable substantially completely without waiting times so that it is the infeed speed to the detector device which fundamentally determines and controls the work rate. The present invention further has for its object to realise an apparatus in which residual beverage contents in the objects realise the least possible dirtying or fouling of sensitive components. Finally, the present invention has for its object to design the apparatus such that this will be simple and robust in construction, as well as being operationally reliable.
The objects forming the basis of the present invention will be attained if the apparatus intimated by way of introduction is characterized in that the compactor device is designed for continuous, non-cylic operation, whereby waiting times are substantially eliminated, from the discharge of an approved object from the detector device and until the compaction operation is commenced.